delicious
อร่อยDelicious in Thai — อร่อย (à-ràwy), the Word You'll Use Most
อร่อย (à-ràwy) means delicious — and in Thailand you'll say it hourly. Hear the real pronunciation and learn the one-word compliment that makes a cook's day.
Delicious in Thai is อร่อย (à-ràwy) — and given where you are, it may be your most-used word after hello.
The rule everyone gets wrong: the romanization you'll see everywhere — "aroi" — hides both the low start and the falling finish. It's à-ràwy, two low-ish tones, not "a-ROY" like a cheerful pirate. Listen twice, say it once.
The beat: อร่อย isn't just a review — it's participation. Thai food culture runs on announcing that things are delicious while eating them, and a foreigner who says อร่อย over a bowl of noodles has paid the compliment that matters. Expect the cook to look genuinely pleased; expect to mean it.
Learn it with the food vocabulary to aim it at — first lessons free, in your browser: app.paithai.app.
Common questions
- What does aroi mean in Thai?
- อร่อย (à-ràwy) means "delicious." Add มาก (mâak) — very — and อร่อยมาก is "very delicious," the full compliment.
- How do you pronounce อร่อย?
- à-ràwy — both syllables sit low, with a falling contour on the second. The course audio on this page is the real reference.
Learn อร่อย the way you’ll remember it — free, in your browser.
Real audio, gentle grading, no account. Your first lesson is about ninety seconds away.
Start a free lesson